exposure

Tapiwa and Xolani were on a rooftop overlooking two anomalies that were rampaging about the streets of Mbare. They were hesitating to even attack the anomalies because what they were witnessing was very disturbing. One of the anomalies sent its limbs deep into the underground and the kids saw it absorbing electricity from the grid.

"We should do something." Zviko said as she approached the ledge.

"Do what exactly, Zviko? My gear is particularly useless against that creature. Look at it. Its like a jelly that can harder its body at will." Tapiwa pointed at the anomaly that had its limb in the ground.

"It's not jelly Tapiwa. Its body is held by that thick fluid which could be electrolytes." Xolani explained as he observed the anomaly. The other one was the hunter predator Panashe had helped catch.

The creature that was absorbing the electricity roared before there was a force emanated from its body that sent objects flying. The kids got thrown away from the ledge and by the time they realised what had happened they saw airships which were in the vicinity falling down. Billboards had been shut down and cracked.

The UAEC who were travelling towards the epicentre of the crash felt the surge and their cars just stopped working leaving them to crash into other cars and buildings. They didn't waste any time and abandoned their cars heading for the epicentre. Their helmets had been rendered useless and they had to abandon them in the cars and used cloth masks with goggles. They proceeded forward and when they arrived at the epicentre two buildings were on the verge of collapsing and the hunter anomaly was about to use its forelegs to toss a human into its mouth when they unloaded their clips into its belly.

The anomaly dropped its meal as it focused on the UAEC members. It charged towards them proving to them how useless their weapons were. A rocket hit the anomaly and exploded dropping the anomaly to its side. The superintendent approached the UAEC members and exchanged greetings along with reporting the damage and situation to them. The other anomaly had disappeared after the energy surge. As they were discussing, the hunter anomaly stood back up and roared.

Humba walked around the damaged areas accessing them and helping anyone he found injured. 'Well they should be here anytime now.' He thought to himself as he continued with his walk.

"Patrick!"

Humba turned his head and saw Mr Reed walking towards him as he removed his damaged VCB.

"I prefer Humba, Mr Reed. So when is the council showing up?"

"Today you forfeit your life Patrick."

"Do you think you can stop me? I am untouchable." Humba claimed as he scratched his short patchy beard. Mr Reed approached Humba and drew something from his back. A short mechanical spear that started to stretch out as he spun it around.

"Reed. You are the council aren't you?" Humba smiled ad he charged towards Mr Reed drawing out his two okapi knives. The metals sang songs as the two men faced each other with the intent to kill. Humba was enjoying himself as tried his best to sneak in a stab at the white male who was focusing on the brown man's throat.

Gunshots and roars could be head echoing in the now quiet city. The clings and clanking from Humba and Mr Reed was also audible. The two men were equally matched until Mr Reed managed to drive his spear through Humba's bicep leaving his left arm useless.

"What do you really want Humba? To become the owner of all the world using anomalies?" Mr Reed asked as he started to gain the upper hand.

"I am not as pathetic as the council. I know what you guys have been doing, using anomalies to kill young man mysteriously as you steal their lives. I always wondered why the foundation didn't had no previous council members or why we were denied the chance to join the council when all we did was work hard for the foundation." Humba replied as he tried to his best to avoid the spear being swung at him.

"Oh young Patrick. The council would never ever allow young people to join because you ask too many questions. I have to know though before you die Patrick. How did you come to the conclusion that the council was evil?"

"The amount of young people who were dying on hunts and the very fact that you were never there to see us or congratulate us. We worked for ghosts until I decided to walk in the dark. All I wanted was to join the council and the house Humba leader came to me with a necklace. I knew what he wanted to do so I was quick enough to put my okapi in his chest and avoided being dumbed down. This was how the foundation rewarded hardworkers who wanted their rewards. So I staged the whole heist five years ago when I realised I couldn't find the council to have them answer for their actions." Humba said as he started losing momentum.

Mr Reed saw the opportunity and kept pressing Humba down using all his might. Humba was running out of options as he realised he had been crippled so he created an opportunity and ran off. Mr Reed wasn't going to let this opportunity escape.

"Where are you going Patrick?" He asked as he followed

Munashe had joined the fight the fight alongside the UAEC as they tried to kill the hunter anomaly that proved to be quite the pain in the ass. Phones were dead and they were all fighting blind.

On the rooftops Tapiwa and Xolani were waiting for an opportune moment but they couldn't find one. They knew it was going to be risky if they just jumped into the fight without being careful. If the monster won't kill them then the bullets would probably end their short lived lives.

"Hey. Where did Jelly go?" Zviko asked.

"Darn it Zviko. We almost forgot you were here. Hey you are right it disappeared after that surge." Tapiwa asked as he scanned the streets.

Screams filled the area as the UAEC had run out of bullets and they were now sitting ducks. One of their members had become a meal for the creature as it prepared for the second one. Ruvarashe who had followed Munashe eventually decided to join the fight and used her gear to unleash a twister of flames that forced the anomaly to retreat. It roared and and wailed but Ruvarashe didn't stop. She changed the canisters on her gear as quickly as as she could giving the police and the UAEC time to regroup and come up with a better plan.

Tapiwa and Xolani started looking for easy objects they could pick up and used Xolani gear and muscles to propel the objects towards the anomaly. Ruvarashe grinned as she saw the duo doing what they were doing. Zviko started burning up objects as they were being tossed by Xolani and created a barrage of burning missiles launched towards the anomaly that was running out options.

Realising there was no escape on the ground the anomaly rushed to one of the buildings and started scaling the building running away from the inferno. The anomaly was the size of a small house so it didn't take it more than three minutes to reach the roof. It collapsed on the roof and in the distance it saw airships approaching the vicinity. It roared as if calling for back up but there was no reply.

Humba had the cry of the hunter anomaly and ran into an alley which happened to be a dead end for him. Mr Reed appeared behind him smirking as he enjoyed the sight of Humba looking desperate.

"I really do wonder if all of this was worth it Patrick . Sacrificing lives just to prove a point isn't what heroes do. Everyone wants immortality kid but only a few get to find. The holy grail was an anomaly whose blood could grand youthfulness as long as we drink from its veins. I guess vampires are real then and I am one."

Mr Reed claimed as he took small paces towards Humba who's back was forced on a fence.

"Stop right there old man." Anesu spoke as he tried to catch his breath. "The mission is complete Humba. Panashe and Mellisa are free we need to leave."

"Anesu. Well this saves me the troubles of searching for you." Mr Reed turned his upper body to look at Anesu and at the very moment Humba saw an opening he wanted. He spun his knife in his right hand before throwing it towards Mr Reeds neck. The knife plunged into the right bicep of Mr Reed who immediately took it out and threw it towards Anesu who saw the knife and used his arms as shield.

"Wrong move Patrick. Now you will die a painful death!" Mr Reed screamed as he charged towards Humba. Anesu wanted to give chase but his body was paralysed. The knife had been laced with a paralysing poison but he saw Mr Reed moving as if nothing had happened. Mr Reed adjusted his body as he prepared to throw his spear but his body started losing power and he collapsed into the puddles that inhabited the alley. Humba smiled before he started laughing like a maniac.

Anesu didn't try to move as he wanted to remain upright. His face revealed joy as passed unconscious and collapsed to the ground. Humba took out a small flare gun and shot it into the sky.

Within ten minutes a digital witches airship hovered around the area Humba was and another one landed where Munashe and the police where. The digital witches had brought first aid packs and ammunition as they shared the possible way to kill the anomaly. Munashe and the UAEC captain were dumbfounded but they had no option but to cooperate with the witches and went up the building. The anomaly had been badly injured by the fire and what they did was just finishing it off. The anomaly was claimed by the UAEC and no one even tried opposing them.